Username: Password: Type: Alumni Friends/Members Current President

Remember Me:

Mission Presients Message

Recently arrived new missionaries

The Assistants Corner

Decrees of The Poste

Other News

I have much pleasure in announcing that Elder Richard Forbes has been called as a counselor in the Mission Presidency. I look forward with great anticipation to working with President Forbes, and President Urness, in continuing to build the Lord's Kingdom in this area of the vineyard. President Forbes brings many years of experience in Priesthood Leadership to this call.

In conjuction with this assignment, President Forbes and Sister Forbes will transfer from Lac La Biche, where they have been serving very successfully, to the mission office where they will labor alongside Elder and Sister Rossiter. It is expected that this policy, of having two couples in the mission office, will bring more stability, efficiency and flexibility than the current system of having younger Elders move in and out ever few months; although we will miss the youthful enthusiasm and van driving abilities.

September turned out to be a very successful month with 38 new members joining the church. Congratulations to all of you for your endeavors in helping to build the Kingdom and especially to those of you who had converts this month. It can be seen that an expectation of 40 new converts each month is not unrealistic for this mission and, therefore, we should combine our faith and we double our efforts in order to achieve this level of growth. May the Lord bless and inspire you as you work towards this end.

The events of September 11th, 2001 will not be forgotten easily and the resulting influence on all of our lives will linger for a long time. Sister Roy and I have experienced events of this nature as Britian and the rest of Europe have suffered over the years from the intermittent terrorist bombings that have resulted in many deaths and injuries of a horrific nature.

As you meet with people, many of whom have had their faith shaken severely, the following questions may arise, "How can there be a God?" or "How could God allow this to happen?" What would be your reply?

As you are aware, the Book of Mormon was written for our day and it is usually possible to find passages of scripture that relate to situations that occur in our lives. This horrific episode is no exceptioni. You will remember that Alma and Amulek were rejected by the hard headed peolle of Ammonihah and things became so bad that they were taken prisoner. These wicked people "cast into fire" all those who believed in the word of God along with their records that contained the Holy Scriptures. They then took Alma and Amulek to witness this horrific scene and Amulek seeing the pain of the women and the children said unto Alma:

"How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands and exercise the poer of God which is in us and save them from the flames." Alma 14:10 But Alma replied, "The spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch for mine hand." Alma 14:11 And then he explains firstly and importantly that with respect to those who were being martyred: "That the Lord receiveth them up unto himself in glory." We must look at these events from an eternal perspective and realize that those who have been killed are in a better place. Alma then continues that the Lord: "Doth suffer that they may do this thing and that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgements which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against, yea and cry mightly against them at the last day." Alma 14:11

Notwithstanding what happens in the future with respect to bringing these and other terrorists to court, as Alma explains, the Lord will ensure that justice comes to pass and that the innocent victims will stand as a witness against them. Be assured that the Lord is in control and no wicked person will escape his just deserts.

President Roy
Back to Top

Recently arrived new missionaries:

Elder Jonathan Asay - Roosevelt, Utah
Elder Mason Mark Bradshaw - Mesa, Arizona
Elder Aaron Grant Young - Poway, California
Elder Daniels - Fremont, California
Edler Ian Scott Costley - Ogden, Utah
Elder Casey Fitzgerald - Kearns, Utah
Elder Michael James Bevans - Oregon
Elder Stephen Solen - Orem
Elder Will Carlston - Lehi, Utah
Elder Bailey - Oklahoma
Elder Coon - Taylorsville, Utah

The Assistants Corner

Dear Elders and Sisters,

It's crazy how fast the time flies as a missionary. We are half way through October and it seems like the month just barely began. I remember as new missionary thinking about how fast time was passing by. I remember calling my family the first Christmas I was out and telling them how amazing I thought it was that I was out two months. My family did not seem to think it was a big deal, but for me it was huge. It is amazing to think back at some of the experiences I have had and decisions I have had the opportunity to make over the last two years. Our lives are full of decisions and the experiences we have are most often directly in result of the decisions we make.

In a letter my dad sent to my brother while he was serving a mission in Korea, my father said a few things about decisions we make. He said, "I just killed a hundred thousand ants. I killed a young flying queen. In that I altered the future of the ant race. Our decisions are like that. Each time we make a decision or let a decision be made for us it determines the course of our future and the future of those we influence and are responsible for in our lives. Every action impacts where we are going and how we will get there. When one takes the first step of a journey he is also destined to take the last. In this sense, wickedness and slothfulness never were happiness, and the righteousness is it's own reward. If man is that he might have joy, and God's eternal plan is to bring to pass the eternal life of man, then putting oneself on the course to eternal life is putting oneself on the route to joy."

I often think back and wonder where I might be or where others might be if I had or had not made the decisions that have been made. Each day as missionaries we make decisions that effect our own lives, but what is even a more frightening thought for me is that as missionaries we seldom make a decision that does not effect other peoples lives in a large way. We have been given a responsibility that relatively few others have ever had. We can choose to work or not work. We can choose to be obedient or not to be obedient. We can choose to follow the spirit or not to follow the spirit, but in the end it's not only us that will be effected by those decisions. It's everyone we have taught, or it's everyone we should have taught. It's everyone we saw come closer to Christ, or it's everyone we could have seen come closer to Christ. So many people are waiting for us to come into their lives so that in effect, Christ can come into their life as well. The decision is ours. I pray that the Lord will help us all make decisions that will effect others for good.

I love all you guys. Work hard and have fun.

Love,
Elder Matthew Berkeley Barney.

October Departures

Elder Ryan J. Juchau
Elder Joshua Guy Nelson
Elder Cline R. Sanderson
Elder Joseph Robert Urley
Elder Gannon Orville Ward
Elder Philip Reid Ward

21 Baptisms in August, 2001

38 Baptisms in September, 2001

Other Mission News

New Mission Office Couple

Sister Forbes and I are pleased and humbled by our new calling. We look forward to expanding our service to our Savior, to President Roy and to the wonderful missionaries in the Canada Edmonton Mission.

We have had the priviledge and the opportunity during the past ten months to teach and baptize a few choice people in a small part of this great vineyard. That experience has taught us that the successes we enjoyed came only through hard work, obedience and through our love for those people and our Savior. Those factors allowed the sacred spirit of the Holy Ghost to help us succeed.

We pray that in serving this mission we will have that same sacred spirit to guide us as a counselor to President Roy and in our assigned administrative responsibilities. We know that it is only possible by obedience to the rules of this mission and to those directives given to us by a prophet of the Lord through his assigned representatives.

As fleet managers, we will strive to follow exactly the requests made by President Roy and by the First Presidency and their designated associates regarding the management, use and care of the mission vehicles. We know that each of you will share that responsibility with us. Use of vehicles is a priviledge not offered to all missions. The proper use and care of those vehicles will allow all of us to maximize our efforts in finding, teaching and baptizing which is the real reason we are here.

Sister Forbes and I have been blessed to work closely with many of the Elders and Sisters of this mission. We are humbled by their example and by their enthusiastic willingness to serve our Savior. We love each of you and deem it a priviledge to serve with you in this sacred cause. We hope that our service will help you fulfill your responsibilities as missionaries.

We look forward to getting to know each of you better as we meet with you at zone conferences and other mission functions.

President and Sister Forbes